CPX Series PART 2: Affirmations - Lucci x Male OC
by Iceburg-sanCPX
Summary: Lucci goes hunting for the brown-eyed marine he fatefully fell across the path of in one night of unbridled passion, unable to stop himself craving more. Physically Lucci was unbeatable, but had he met his match when challenged by strength of a different kind? Rated M for pure smut and unapologetic intimate scenes, warning for violence.


****Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, it belongs to Eiichiro Oda. However, the story and OC belong to me.****

****Author's note: ********Warning******** This fan fiction contains yaoi, explicit sexual encounter and potential dubious consent, as well as violence. ****

****This is the second part of the CPX: Dark Encounter series. The first part can be found on my page or here:**** (copy and paste after fanfiction .net) /s/13377405/1/CPX-Series-A-Dark-Encounter-Lucci-x-Male-OC

* * *

Lucci stepped quietly through sandstone back alleys, hands in pockets. All of the buildings looked the same to the untrained eye: cubular, stacked and uniform. The sandy gravel crunched under his feet. It was paved over with stone on the main streets but in the backs remained quite rural. It was here that made up the majority of marine accommodation. This was further substantiated by various items of marine under-clothing, shirts hanging on makeshift lines and generator boxes primed for many economic lights.

There were occasional raucous bursts of laughter and conversation from various dormitory doors that had been illicitly propped open with buckets or chairs to allow a little air into the shared units. The climate on Enies Lobby was often quite humid, given the enclosed waterfall alcove and never-ending daylight. The sizzling sound of communal cooking pricked Lucci's ears, and the smell of fried meat and vegetables teased his leopard senses.

Once again he had taken to his late evening indulgence of escaping his tower entrapment via his balcony to walk unnoticed among the common recruits. Tonight however, he had a further purpose. He had ditched his usual route along the busy tavern fronts for a more, covert mission here in the lesser walked alleyways.

Starting where he had had his first encounter with the brown eyed marine, he had explored the surrounding area comprehensively.

After that first time Lucci had tried to put the man out of his mind. After all, what was a simple dalliance to a young CP9 agent? What was one inconsequential marine?

But Lucci had an unfortunate abundance of time to ruminate on past experiences, particularly as he rarely had anything beyond his intense Cipher Pol training to  
occupy his mind. While he was undergoing savage martial arts reviews, aggressive interrogation techniques and naval architecture seminars, he had to admit his mind had wandered.

_It was all bullshi_t, he reflected to himself as he had decimated training dummy after training dummy with Rankyaku. He had learned the material within the first six weeks. He liked to read.

"If you want a literature review," He had nastily told Spandam, "-then I will write you a tome. Ask me to endure a whole week's worth of lectures from washed up old admirals, then I will give you corpses inside out."

Spandam had yelled and spat curses into his face for a full half an hour, but had not bothered to send the disciplinarians after him when he still periodically didn't turn up for sessions. Lucci was confident no-one would ever bother to chase him to adhere to protocol. He was too important an asset to the World Government.

Lucci sniffed the air carefully, allowing his zoan to slip into his body just enough for the purpose. He had been searching for a familiar scent, but it had proven a less than easy hunt.

He could have surreptitiously made a play to access the archives of marine enrolment, done a search on all that matched the profile. But it would have been traceable. Not _easily _traceable. But traceable nonetheless.

It was much safer to track him himself. That way there was no trail.

He was confident he was close now. He was picking up slight hints of that enticing smell here and there. That man had been here, and Lucci was now certain he knew where he had gone.

* * *

Marine Nicholas Peverell (now General) had finally got back to his apartment and sighed wearily as he pushed the bolt across the door. It had been a somewhat difficult day. Difficult, but good. Nick smiled, unable to stop himself. He had his own platoon now. Twelve young men, all keen and young recruits, ready and willing to listen to his command. He saw a lot of himself in them and the way he had been when had first been assigned to a unit himself.

Not that it had been easy. He had pretty much joined the marines as soon as he was old enough to enlist full time (some 12 years or so) and had worked hard since then. He had always passed tests with flying colours but such was the system of hierarchy in rank that you literally had to wait until someone died until you could advance and take their place. He was lucky though, to have a supporting naval officer that believed in his abilities as a master communications scout and had put through the application for a rise in rank.

Nick sighed and ditched his gun and ammunition harness on his bedside table. Another perk of the promotion was to be moved to a new apartment that he was privileged enough to occupy on his own this time. He missed the activity of the communal dorm, but also felt he might be getting a little old for it (compared to teenage rumbustious recruits). Here it was quieter, and he could use the shower whenever he wished to.

As he prepared a simple evening meal on the thin stove, he reflected on his new battalion. Twelve young men, all nervous and determined to serve the World Government to the best of their ability. One lad (barely an adult) there because his whole family had served in the marines, another because he wanted to learn how to use a den den radio effectively and prove all his previous tutors wrong. All had their different reasons. All were his responsibility now. He would do his best to teach them what he knew about being a great communications officer.

The food sizzled in the pan and he pushed open a window to let out the gathering steam. His thoughts further wandered to the incident he had experienced about a month priorly. That dark haired agent. Their encounter in the vacant supply shed.

It had been unexpected for sure, but after reflection, Nick had to agree with himself that it had been mutually consensual, despite the circumstances. Had he been the instigator? No... the other man (the agent) had approached him first, and barely given him the choice. Nick had feared for his life and made the decision to play along if it meant survival. But who had been the one that suggested sex? Perhaps he had come across too eagerly... After all, CP9's reputation definitely preceded them. Had he jumped the gun at assuming it was his body or his life? When had either of them fully said yes? Or no? That was the point Nick wasn't sure about. It had just... happened. With little protest.

Nick ate his meal in happy silence, savouring the taste. He even ordained to treat himself to a glass of red wine with his meal. Since he had no-one else to celebrate with (his only relative his grandmother far away in West Blue), he felt a personal congratulation for his achievement was in order. He lifted his glass to an imaginary companion in mid air and gave himself a mock speech.

"To a man that has achieved something in... some amount of time. Hmm. " He paused with a chuckle to take a long contemplative draw of his wine and sighed with pleasure at the musky taste he rarely indulged in. "May he continue to continue, in the face of all odds."

"Is that poetry?" A low voice purred, "-or an ode to disaster?"

Nick almost fell off his chair, slamming the wine glass to his table with a heavy chink. He stared wide-eyed at the dark figure that had appeared in the corner of his compact kitchen.

"Holy Mother of Justice..." Nick breathed, staring at the intruder. "H-How did you get in here?"

Lucci harrumphed impatiently and indicated towards the open kitchen window. "Your cooking almost masked your smell, but I recognised your cologne. You would be a terrible undercover agent."

Nick realised his mouth was hanging open in shock, and he felt a tingling of adrenaline pass through his limbs. "...well... I suppose that's why I'm not an undercover agent?"

There was a moment of tense silence, and then Lucci chortled huskily. "You are never without a clever reply, are you?"

Nick chose not to answer from the seat at his kitchen table, not wanted to instantly prove the man correct. His heart pumped with apprehension.

Lucci took a decisive step forward, and Nick recoiled automatically.

Lucci politely ignored this instinctual reaction as if he was used to it, scraping the spare kitchen chair back and sitting down neatly, facing the guarded general. "So, you made the the rank of General." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Nick blinked and stared at him for a couple of moments before answering with a weak smile. "No thanks to you... I was pretty sore the next day. But I passed the test all the same."

A further moment of silence passed and Nick's face dropped anxiously, wondering if he was going to be reprimanded once again for his "clever" answer. Not that he felt particularly clever at that moment. Lucci did nothing for a long moment but preditorially watch the man across the table from him.

"...you have wine?"

Nick jumped at the sudden vocalisation. "Yes, here-" He indicated to the open bottle. It was the one he had received as a gift for his promotion and was currently indulging in.

"I would like some wine."

The general jumped up, his mind humming as he set about finding another glass for his unexpected guest. He poured the precious red liquid into a glass and set it fussily in front of the impending figure that sat across for him.

_How did he find me so quickly? Why is he here? To finish me off like he didn't get to last time?_

"Please, sit."

Nicholas sat.

Nobody said anything for an extended while. Nick watched, apprehensive and frozen in place as Lucci picked up his glass and swilled it around with some interest. Nick noted once again how handsome the other man was, and how obviously physically toned. Details were in focus that had not had been as obvious in the dingy back alley or unlit unit. For example, the black shirt that was taught over his muscles as he lifted the glass to his pert cupid bow lips had the cipher pol cross symbol embroidered delicately on it. Thin lines appeared between the defined arches of his furrowed brow as he concentrated on taking a careful sip. The pale skin over his cheekbones was taught, and young looking but his eyes somehow carried a certain deepness to them, as if they had already seen more than their fair share of turmoil.

He fixed these fathomless piercing grey eyes to Nick's own, doe brown. "It is quite mediocre, but as a seminal vintage in this particular locale, not bad."

Lucci took a small sip and Nick marvelled at the man's ability to speak entirely conversationally and intelligently after having all but broken in to another's residence. Nick coughed lightly when Lucci said the word "seminal", his memory of their previous encounter at the forefront of his mind. It made this painfully normal conversation even more surreal.

"So you are well versed in wines then?"

Lucci leant forward onto his elbow, fixing his glass with a thoughtful gaze. "I know something about many things, does that make me well versed?"

Nick sat back in his seat, not expecting the sudden philosophical conversation. "...I think that makes you knowledgeable, for sure..." He hazarded hesitantly, daring to take a sip of his own wine. "But, if that makes you well versed... I wouldn't know."

Lucci cocked his head to one side, his black locks falling over his shoulder. "An admirable response, given your obvious inexperience."

Nick shifted uncomfortably. _In wines, he must have meant._

"In fact-" Lucci continued quite naturally, shutting his eyes as he spoke. "I would dare to say you've never experienced something like this before-"

Lucci pressed the glass to his full lips once more, and took a further sip of the blood red liquid. With nervous interest Nick's gaze followed the sensual gulp of Lucci's adam's apple as he swallowed.

"If you're talking about the wine then-" Nick stuttered.

Lucci interrupted him almost instantaneously. "I am talking about me."

Nick shakily took another long sip of his own wine, and found that he had drained his glass. He set it down carefully on the table, the agent's piercing eyes following his every move.

"Of course you are right."

_Who the hell would have? _

Nick paused as Lucci gripped the bottle of wine and poured them both a new measure. After this was accomplished, Lucci fixed the General with an imposing stare, indicating him to continue speaking out loud, unsatisfied with the short reply.

Nick gulped.

"It was a surprise but... I wanted you. Even if you er... forced the situation."

Lucci blinked, but otherwise did not react.

"And..?"

Nick cleared his throat nervously, butterflies fluttering... no, _gnawing_ inside his belly. The agent had an uncanny ability to draw him right out, see right through him. He found himself speaking, despite not really knowing what to say. It would have been impossible to hide anything. In fact, under this kind of scrutiny he pitied any actual criminal target that had the misfortune of coming under Cipher Pol's gaze. They didn't have their reputation for nothing.

"I am also pretty surprised to see you back here." Nick breathed, ears starting to burn. "But not... unhappy to see you again."

There was a long moment where they both took a drink of wine. Lucci wiped his mouth with his thumb and set his glass down decisively.

"Do you want me now?"

* * *

Nick's bedroom was quite modest, with few possessions. He was a tidy person (and currently thankful for it, as soon after their verbal exchange they had found themselves there in quick succession). His still-new marine general uniform hung crisply on the door of a simple wardrobe, but Lucci had ignored it as he pushed Nick backwards and against the wall.

Lips crashed desperately against his own out of nowhere. Somehow, the agent had closed the gap between them without so much as a beat's rest and trapped him against the wall, his knee between Nick's legs. Lucci had covered his body entirely with his own, engulfing him in hard pressed heat. Lucci leant on him heavily, restricting Nick's breathing to short and shallow gasps of desire. He had also trapped Nick's shoulders with his rough hands, and drew him in tightly forcing their faces together in deep kissing. Nick tried to keep up with the rough assault, gripping the man's hips that pressed into him. Lucci's stubble was coarse against his own, and sent surges of wanting down his spine.

Despite the heavy strength against him, the agent's torso was angular and athletic. A musky masculine scent he had not not noticed before in the previous encounter's night air engulfed him, and Nick happily accepted an eager, desperate tongue into his own mouth. He dared to press his thumbs up muscled hips and into the dip of a shapely lower waist. He sighed with deep longing into the man's mouth, savouring the taste.

Lucci didn't attempt to stop him touching this time, seeming to enjoy the attention, but also didn't relent with his lips either. Nick was noticing Lucci's need to be in control at all times, further cementing his suspicion that there was no small amount of power play going on. He still didn't know what to make of all this, but was all too happy to let it continue. This was so incredibly different to any other encounter with a man. It was exhilarating, and the constant feeling of being in immediate danger took his breath away.

Continuing his assault, Lucci moved from Nick's mouth to tightly suck and bite his neck with hard pressure. Nick let out a gasp and a feral noise at the sudden pain shooting directly to his groin. He bucked into Lucci, who growled deeply into his ear in response.

Nick reached up, running his hands wildly through the agent's thick raven locks as the latter made to tug at Nick's shirt in the same way as he had done previously. Breathing hard, Nick let him, rubbing his hands over Lucci's shoulders and down his upper back. He felt something beneath his fingertips, some kind of raised indentations beneath the material of the black shirt. Nick frowned with confusion, unable to make sense of what he was feeling in his lusty state.

Suddenly and without warning, Lucci gripped Nick's elbow in a vice and pulled him forward. With inhuman speed, a subtle move resembling some kind of martial art sent Nick over Lucci's lower leg and he fell onto the floor.

Nick groaned, hair ruffled and face red. He pushed himself up, rubbing his elbow. _Ouch... _

Once again, just like a repeat of the last time, he had found himself thrown to the floor and looking up through a squinted eye at the imposing and impossibly beautiful fury of the violent man.

"W-wha-" he stammered, momentarily disorientated. "Ugh...seriously, just, why..."

Lucci didn't say anything, just stared intensely at the man at his feet, fists balled.

"Alright, I get it, I won't touch your back, okay?" Nick raised his palms to Lucci, speaking softly.

He slowly and carefully moved back on to his feet from a crouched position, as if trying not to provoke a cornered wild animal that was poised to attack. He had no idea what the problem was, apart from that he had felt something there. Some kind of scarring?

_He could have just said so, instead of doing that... Jeez._

But Nick didn't dare criticize out loud. In that heated moment he had stupidly forgotten who exactly was standing in his house right now, and had been very comprehensively reminded. Luckily, apart from the shock, he wasn't particularly hurt in any way, and had never bruised too easily.

Still half crouched as non-offensively as he could manage he approached the feral-looking man again, who didn't move, but watched him advance very carefully. Nick licked his lips nervously and reached for Lucci's belt buckle.

"Here, let me make it up to you..." he breathed, keeping direct eye contact in case of any pre-warning of another physical move. However, Lucci was seemingly allowing Nick to continue, and after a time, his eyes slid from Nick's to where his hands where unpacking his heat in quick succession.

Nick knelt (withholding his sigh of relief) and pulled Lucci's warm appendage free from over the hem of his underwear. Once again, that glorious sight towered over him, this time within easier reach. Was there any part of this man that was not perfect? The pace was slower than it had been before after the momentary halt, but felt natural. Nick took his time building Lucci back to full heat, kissing around and up and down the smooth shaft. He squeezed below and suckled the head, humming into the shaft as he flicked with his tongue. He wasn't trying to be a tease on purpose, but he was enjoying proving to his guest that perhaps he was worth the trouble of throwing on to the floor a little more gently next time... Lucci's lids fluttered a little and he watched Nick from above through thick lashes and eyes that seemed a little foggier during these ministrations.

Soon Nick had taken a fully hard mouthful and began to suck in earnest. To his surprise he felt a hand smooth up the side of his face and into his hair. Nick closed his eyes, pressing his hands against Lucci's thighs to steady himself.

Quickly, the grip on his hair tightened and Lucci had grasped him painfully, taking control of his head.

_Well, of course... _

Nick should have expected it really. For small hints of moments, there was a tenderness in his touch, quickly replaced by violence, like he had suddenly remembered that was the person that he was supposed to be.

Lucci painfully rammed his hips into Nick's throat a few times, then let him go, panting. Nick gasped for air, saliva on his lips, looking up at Lucci from his knees with deep brown eyes.

"Up."

Nick scrambled to his feet and was invited with a gesture onto his own bed.

With a light sigh in his chest, he kicked off the rest of his clothes.

"I prefer the setting this time-" Nick joked, trying to lighten the situation a bit. He reached into his side drawer and retrieved a small bottle of lube. He really hoped that Lucci would use it this time. Lucci watched him all the while.

"Ah yes, the man of class. How could I forget." There was an undertone of mocking amusement in the low voice. "Turn over."

Without even fully pulling his trousers off this time, Lucci pushed Nick onto all fours, facing away from him. He gripped his hips hungrily and pulled him back to the edge of the bed. Nick kept quiet and let him. He felt his cheek press against his bed covers as Lucci pushed his neck down, forcing him to arch his back. Nick could no longer see Lucci or what he was doing, which was a real shame. He wiggled slightly, trying to get his knees more comfortable.

The sound of the tube popping and squeezing out made Nick jump slightly, and he gasped as he felt silken fingers apply it to his exposed entrance. He reached back to grip his own masculinity and squeeze.

Lucci made quick work of him with clever fingers, touching and then inserting one without much decorum. He had apparently again grown impatient, and barely after stretching with two fingers had already aligned himself behind Nick.

His head turned sideways, Nick could see a little of Lucci towered above him. He gasped with a new wave of desire as he considered the vulnerable, exposed position he had been laid out in.

Lucci waited a couple of beats, smoothing a hand over Nick's lower back, the other gripped on himself. Then, he pushed in. The lube allowed a smoother and quicker entry than the previous time but was still challenging and Nick couldn't help but let out a guttural groan. So... deep... this time...

Lucci slid in much further and more easily than he had before. Nick had to take experienced breaths and actively make himself relax. The dull throb eased a little and Nick felt fuller than he had in a long while. His thighs felt weak and shook a little.

The deep sigh that came from somewhere above him confirmed that the agent had felt the difference as well. Being jumped in an alley was all well and good but there was _nothing_ that could beat this feeling. Lucci appeared to be the correct shape and size for the angle, and Nick had to wonder if he knew it as he pulled Nick's backside into his pelvis. The internal pressure that Nick craved but so rarely received against his prostate made him want to roll his eyes into the back of his head.

"You like that."

Again, not a question, but Nick stammered an incoherent answer back at him anyway.

He thought he heard a satisfied chuckle, but instantly forgot about it as Lucci began to move. Once again the muscled body gracefully rolled into him, but in and out deeply thanks to the lube. This was entirely more intense than the previous close grinding; Nick could feel Lucci slide in and out of him with tight, hot clarity. Nick groaned throatily and swallowed into his bed. He had himself gripped in his hand but he didn't need to pump himself, even if he had the brain function to manage at that moment.

"Wow..." he breathed. "Yes..."

Lucci somehow had the ability to keep going and going... and going... At times he sped up, so that the sound of skin smacking filled the room for a long moment. This was then followed by a slow, antagonising roll of his hips which sent Nick into a frenzy of pleasurable moans. A couple of times, just when Nick's body begun to seize up in the unsprung coil of pleasure, Lucci stopped completely and withdrew himself, causing Nick to curse and shiver beneath him as his balls throbbed painfully.

After a long while of this, Nick felt his biceps fatigue from holding himself up. Sweat droplets had formed on both their bodies in the sensual heat.

"W-wait, wait." Nick shifted and groaned as his arms spasmed painfully. "Let me move-"

Lucci didn't say anything, but stood back and watched contemplatively, hard dick in one hand as Nick slumped down and rolled over. The general was panting, brown hair stuck to the sweat on his forehead. His legs lay askew tiredly and he rested one hand on his stomach. This had already been a particularly long session. Nick wasn't used to a man lasting so long. The stamina being displayed here was pretty damn impressive.

"Aren't you close yet?"

Lucci knelt onto the bed, shuffling up between Nick's legs and grabbing his ankles.

"Quiet."

Nick lay and watched the god-like man above him in wonder as he re-adjusted into this new angle and tugged on Nick's hips to roll his pelvis upwards. Nick's buttocks rested on Lucci's thighs in a relatively accessible position, but Lucci didn't re-enter him just yet.

Nick watched in hazy arousal as the agent gripped both of their members together in a strong, graceful (but strangely rough-skinned) hand and squeezed.

"Do you feel that?"

Nick made an incoherent noise in reply, writhing. Lucci continued to watch, gently squeezing each one of his fingers in succession up their shafts.

This intimacy, that feeling... Nick could hardly bear it. It felt truly amazing but extremely teasing.

"Please!" He gasped desperately. He had been so close to the edge for so long now. He felt like he would explode if he didn't release soon.

Lucci wrinkled his nose in distaste and let go. "Don't beg."

He finally reared back and looked down to focus on directing his hard member back towards Nick's heat. His dark curls swung forward and graced his shoulders. Cheeks flushed and arms laid back behind his head, Nick gazed glassy eyed up at the rippling torso of this Adonis as new lube was applied and every thick inch filled him once again. He let out a guttural groan, stuck between fatigue and the most wicked feeling of full pleasure he could remember ever feeling.

Lucci, quiet as ever, started to pull Nick back and forth up his thighs. He thrust in and out while maintaining a discliplined upright position, a droplet of sweat rolling down one of his pectorals. In the glow of the bedroom lamp, other sweat droplets glistened on his chest as he rolled his hips into the raptured man below him. Hard heat pressed again and again against the full, smooth wall of Nick's prostate, causing his tortured swollen member to throb above.

How on earth was he doing this? It must have been hours by now... What kind of superhuman man had this amount of stamina?

Taking due note of Lucci's previous comment, Nick didn't beg again but instead reached down to grip himself. It was time he took control. He had been waiting for Lucci to come, wanting to give him that courtesy, that gift. But he just couldn't hold on any longer. This seemed never-ending. He pumped himself hard while Lucci maintained perfect rhythm, grinding into his prostate without mercy.

Nick rode the edge of a white, glorious wave for an incredible amount of time. His climax was much longer and much more intense than anything he could remember feeling before, perhaps because he had been on the edge for so long. His toes curled, his stomach clenched and his balls seized, contracting as he spilled several waves of hot liquid over his own hand and stomach. After what seemed like an age of contorting, writhing and moaning, he finally fell back, completely spent.

Lucci had shut his eyes and furrowed his brow when Nick had clenched hard around him, sweat appearing on his forehead. Finally, as if that was what he had been waiting for, he shifted his knees and lay down over Nick. Burying his head into his brown-eyed prey's neck, he suddenly thrust shortly and quickly into him, grunting as he let himself go. He came within five strokes, gasping, lips behind Nick's ear.

Nick waited, body tingling and exhausted as the man gripped him from above and rode out his high. He had had absolute control over his own climax. Nick would have been even more impressed at this, had he not been absolutely exhausted.

He reached up without lifting his arms fully from the bed and stroked Lucci's upper arms gently, tracing his thumb along slightly raised black tattooed lines there.

_Didn't think he was the type. A cross inside a square, huh... _

In this vulnerable moment, Lucci did not resist Nick's gentle, affectionate touches on his skin. Nick savoured this extremely precious moment where the other man lay on top of him in a hot embrace as he recovered.

As expected, he regained his senses quickly and pushed himself off Nick and up.

"Hey," Nick said with a frown, watching Lucci withdraw to the other side of the room from propped up elbows. "Were you waiting for me to come, before you did?"

All this time he had resisted, wanting to not come too early but in actual fact the agent had been one step ahead the whole time. He hadn't come until Nick had given in. But that seemed so crazy. How could someone have that much control over themselves physically? It blew his mind.

"Perhaps."

Lucci had zipped up his trousers and was already pulling his shirt over his shoulders.

Nick watched thoughtfully, unsure of what else to say for the moment. Now the moment was over and the magic was gone, it was back to business as usual.

This man was clearly incredibly complex. Every time the marine thought he had understood a bit more about his character, got a little bit further in conversation with him, he closed up completely. It was almost like he had never known what it was like to talk to someone. He was so defensive, he was angry, he lashed out. But that made Nick's empathy reach out more. It may have been misplaced or foolhardy after only knowing the man for two seconds, but he really did believe there was good in everyone. That if they were bad, it was because bad things had happened to them.

This man could probably do with a bit of warmth, Nick decided.

"Well, thank you. It was good."

Lucci's brows furrowed into a deep frown and he stopped to shoot a piercing look of absolute confusion from across the room. His eyes were so grey that they stood out with striking clarity against his raven locks.

"What?"

"I said," Nick repeated patiently. "Thank you, I enjoyed it. I at least owe you that much."

The young agent wrinkled his nose and shook his head slightly, as if he couldn't believe it. "How can you be so stupidly nice? It's absolutely unbearable."

Nick blinked, taken aback at the sudden volatile reaction. It was the most words he thought he had heard the man say in one go so far. "Are you angry?"

Lucci gritted his teeth. "I broke into your house, forced you-" He had started angrily towards where Nick still lay on the bed, propped up up on his elbows. "You should be afraid! In awe of my strength, bowed at my feet! You're pathetic! And you're... _thanking _me?"

And there it was. Just like that, he had blown up just because someone had been kind to him.

"You didn't force me-" Nick tried to begin, but was cut off quickly.

"Shut up!" Lucci had crossed the room so fast that Nick hadn't even noticed he was on him until a concrete hand closed so tightly around his neck that he thought it might snap. "Do you need more of a fucking hint?"

The serene, contemplative handsomeness had contorted into pure, unbridled rage. Nick grabbed at the wrist that was currently choking him with both his hands, fast feeling his face redden and swell.

"You are pathetic!" Lucci spat at him and slammed Nick's head against the wall with each statement. "You are nothing!"

Fuck, this was bad. Nick tried every trick he had been taught as a marine soldier to try and escape the grapple, digging his nails into the skin, pressing his thumb into the inner elbow. He kicked, but his foot only made contact with his assailant's muscular thigh and did little to move him. Time trickled away in slow motion as he felt the oxygen run out in his lungs and he was becoming less and less able to struggle.

A sudden memory sparked behind Nick's throbbing eyes and in a moment of white-lit revelation he recalled his personal issue handgun that he had dumped on the bedside table when he had come in earlier. In a last ditch attempt to save his life (which was fast fading now), he swung an arm wildly to his right and groped around for that piece of metal he knew was going to be his salvation.

The click of the barrel and cold rim of metal pushed against his forehead had got Lucci's attention, and his sea-stone coloured line of sight slowly skimmed down Nick's shaking hand to his blue lipped visage down below him. He let go.

Nick inhaled a loud, ragged gasp of air, then several more, choking and and coughing desperately. In those last delusional seconds without oxygen when he thought it was going to be over, he thought he'd seen a white bird swoop past the window.

"Next time," Lucci breathed almost inaudibly, "I will fucking kill you."

Nick let his gun fall out of his hand as thought he saw the cipher pol agent through blurry eyes climbing out of his window.

_See you next time, _Nick thought.


End file.
